Apparatus and method for detecting tampering of a printer compartment

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments described herein provide an apparatus and method for detecting tampering. The apparatus includes a printer and a printer compartment located within the printer. The apparatus also includes a switch capable of being coupled to the printer compartment. The switch is adapted to close when tampering with the printer compartment occurs. The apparatus includes a tamper detection device capable of being in a tamper state and a non-tamper state. The tamper detection device discharges and places the tamper detection device in the tamper state when the switch is closed to indicate that tampering has occurred. The apparatus includes a set of power sources. The set of power sources provides charge to the tamper detection device and places the tamper detection device in the non-tamper state.

1. An apparatus for detecting tampering, comprising:
 a printer; 
 a printer compartment located within the printer; 
 a switch capable of being coupled to the printer compartment, wherein the switch is adapted to close when tampering with the printer compartment occurs; 
 
     a tamper detection device capable of being in a tamper state and a non-tamper state, wherein the tamper detection device discharges and places the tamper detection device in the tamper state when the switch is closed to indicate that tampering has occurred; and
 a set of power sources, wherein the set of power sources provides charge to the tamper detection device and places the tamper detection device in the non-tamper state. 
 
   
   
     2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the set of power sources comprises a first power source used by the printer and a battery, further comprising:
 a power source router, wherein the power source router chooses a particular power source in the set of power sources to provide charge to the tamper detection device when the tamper detection device is in the non-tamper state. 
 
   
   
     3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the particular power source is the first power source when the printer is turned on. 
   
   
     4. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the particular power source is the battery when the printer is turned off. 
   
   
     5. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first power source is approximately five volts, and wherein the battery is approximately three volts. 
   
   
     6. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the power source router comprises at least two diodes. 
   
   
     7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the printer compartment contains a storage device, and wherein the storage device stores transaction data associated with the printer. 
   
   
     8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gate switch, wherein the gate switch has a first state such that current passes through the gate switch to charge the tamper detection device when the switch is open. 
 
   
   
     9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the gate switch has a second state to prevent the tamper detection device from charging when the switch is closed. 
   
   
     10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the tamper detection device is in the tamper state, further comprising:
 a printer processor, wherein the printer processor determines that the tamper detection device is in the tamper state, and 
 a resetting module, wherein the resetting module changes a state of the gate switch to the first state to facilitate charging of the tamper detection device. 
 
   
   
     11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the gate switch comprises a transistor, and wherein the resetting module comprises a second transistor. 
   
   
     12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tamper detection device comprises a capacitor. 
   
   
     13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the printer compartment is a printer drawer, and wherein the switch is adapted to close when a movement of the printer drawer exceeds a threshold distance. 
   
   
     14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tamper detection device is grounded when the tampering with the printer compartment occurs. 
   
   
     15. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a tamper state detection module, wherein the tamper state detection module is used by a printer processor to determine a state of the tamper detection device, wherein the state is one of the tamper state and the non-tamper state. 
 
   
   
     16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the tamper state detection module comprises a diode. 
   
   
     17. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a storage device, wherein the storage device records data indicating an occurrence of the tamper state. 
 
   
   
     18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the printer is a fiscal printer. 
   
   
     19. A method for detecting tampering, comprising:
 moving the printer compartment, wherein the printer compartment is coupled to a printer; 
 responsive to a tampering of the printer compartment, closing a switch, wherein the switch is coupled to the printer compartment; and 
 responsive to closing the switch, discharging a tamper detection device to indicate a tamper state, wherein a set of power sources provide charge to the tamper detection device while the tamper detection device indicates a non-tamper state. 
 
   
   
     20. An apparatus for detecting tampering, comprising:
 a fiscal printer; 
 a printer compartment located within the fiscal printer, wherein the printer compartment is a printer drawer; 
 a switch capable of being coupled to the printer compartment, wherein the switch is adapted to close when tampering with the printer compartment occurs; 
 a tamper detection device capable of being in a tamper state and a non-tamper state, wherein the tamper detection device discharges and places the tamper detection device in the tamper state when the switch is closed to indicate that tampering has occurred, and wherein the tamper detection device comprises a capacitor; 
 a set of power sources, wherein the set of power sources provides charge to the tamper detection device and places the tamper detection device in the non-tamper state, wherein the set of power sources comprises a first power source used by the fiscal printer and a battery; and 
 a tamper state detection module, wherein the tamper state detection module is used by a printer processor to determine a state of the tamper detection device, wherein the state is one of the tamper state and the non-tamper state.